Nigerian TikTok star Peller discloses sexual abuse he suffered as a child on a public podcast
TikTok influencer Habeeb Hamzat, known as Peller, has disclosed that he was sexually abused twice as a child. On The Honest Bunch Podcast, he said a 40-year-old woman assaulted him at age 12 and that a football coach tried to abuse him at age 14 or 15. The disclosure has left his large fan base stunned.
Peller’s confession came without warning on the popular podcast, and the details he shared shook listeners across Nigeria. The TikTok star, who commands one of the country’s largest social media followings, walked openly through two separate incidents from his early years.
He said the first incident happened when he was 12 years old. He was visiting a friend when a 40-year-old woman assaulted him. He told the hosts the encounter left him sexually aware in a way he was not ready for, and that it changed how he saw the world around him.
The Coach Who Used Football as a Trap
Peller also spoke about a football coach who made repeated attempts to abuse him. He was around 14 or 15 at the time and trained under this coach in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
He opened the episode with a remark that gave the story extra weight from the start.
“I’m supposed to be at the World Cup currently,” he said.
He then explained that the coach ran sessions at an uncompleted building before players moved to the main field. Late arrivals faced fines, but Peller often could not pay.
“My coach was gay. I didn’t know what that was about then. There was an uncompleted building the coach used to sit down and gather us before we went to play football on the main field,” he said.
When Peller could not pay, the coach would send every other boy to the field and hold him back. He would tell the rest to leave and then call Peller closer and touch his chest. One day the coach invited him to his home in Agric, Ikorodu, under the guise of picking up an item.
“One day he asked me to come to Agric in Ikorodu. I went to meet him there. He asked me to help him bring something. The thing had no meaning,” Peller said.
How Peller Escaped the Coach
When he handed over the item, the coach had already undressed. He told Peller to come to the bed.
“Come to the bed as how? I just came to give you something,” he said.
The coach then dangled the promise of more playing time to pressure him further. Peller held his nerve and told the coach he needed to use the toilet. The instant the door opened, he ran.
“It was then I became wise and started doing my tap tap tap,” he noted.
He said he never crossed paths with the coach again. His story echoes the experience of many young athletes in Nigeria who suffer abuse from adults in positions of trust. Much like other Nigerian public figures who exposed early trauma on record, Peller’s openness may push more victims to speak out.
